


Mukashi no Niji

by Steangine



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, Mukashi Mukashi Event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-15 06:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7211801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steangine/pseuds/Steangine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>7 one shots. Aomine and Kuroko from the point of view of their friends at Teikou.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red

**Author's Note:**

> Since I held this event http://it-was-you-all-along-aokuro.tumblr.com/post/141854934416/mukashi-mukashi-event (that probably didn't have as much success as AoKuro week but whatever XD) I decided I had to write something for it. And I came up with the fastest but cutest way I could think of, since I have much to do and so little time to enjoy myself.  
> Rules are simple: Teikou period + using one of the colors of the rainbow a day. Today is red.  
> I hope you'll enjoy this seven days with me.

Since when Kuroko entered the first string, Akashi noticed that Aomine stuck to him more than the training allowed. Probably it was unconscious, as Aomine didn’t notice he slowed down his pace in order not to lose sight of Kuroko or his eyes always wandered around when he was on the court until he spotted his companion.

That day too Aomine started so fast he opened the queue and step by step dropped at the last place, right in front of Kuroko. Akashi took a glance over his shoulder and sighed.

“Something’s wrong, Akashi?”

As Nijimura asked, Midorima, running right behind Akashi, lent his ear.

“No, Nijimura-senpai.”

In the end it wasn’t such a bad thing, as Aomine was the only one in the first string who took extra training. Running slower than he could hadn’t affected his stamina and skills until that moment. However…

“Yet, I was wondering if–“

“Ah!” A loud voice interrupted him from behind, it was another senpai. “Somebody in the back fell down.”

“Who?” A second senpai asked. “Aomine looks fine.”

“Not Aomine. The other one with him.”

“…who?”

Akashi turned his head and looked at Aomine, who stopped running and was gesticulating towards the ground. At a second look, he realized on the ground there was Kuroko laying face down.

“I am going.”

Nijimura followed Akashi with his eyes until his neck hurt a bit. Midorima decided to keep running, as nobody told him to stop as well.

“What happened?”

Aomine looked like he was restraining himself from touching Kuroko in any way, even if he was so worried that Akashi almost believed he could have burst into tears at any moment.

“Aomine, calm down. He just fell down, he couldn’t have possibly hurt himself so badly.”

Both stared at Kuroko’s still body.

“…right?” Akashi added. “Kuroko. Are you okay?”

Akashi asked with a gentle voice. Aomine growled harshly.

“Oi, Tetsu!”

The body made a small jolt and both Aomine and Akashi took an unconscious step behind.

“I’m fine.”

Kuroko spoke as he raised the head. His pale face was dirtied in soil and from the forehead was dropping a trace of blood that run over his nose. Kuroko kneeled down.

“Tetsu you aren’t fine at all!”

Kuroko blinked at them, giving a puzzled look as if he didn’t understand the meaning under their astonished faces.

“I’m fine. I just feel wet on the face.”

He rubbed slightly his right palm on the forehead. Kuroko stared at his hand covered in blood -his blood- and tilted his head a bit.

“Oh…” He smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

With the same calm expression, he lost his balance and wobbled forward. Aomine dashed towards him with his arms opened, blocking his fall: Kuroko gently hit his head against Aomine’s chest.

“Tetsu!”

Half an hour later, Akashi was waiting outside the infirmary. His contemplation of the sakura trees was blocked by Aomine walking to and fro in front of the closed door.

“Aomine.”

“Yes?”

“You should go and change. Your t-shirt is dirty.”

“I don’t mind.”

“It wouldn’t be nice showing blood around. Somebody could worry over nothing.”

Aomine stopped walking with a firm stomp of his right feet.

“Tetsu isn’t nothing!”

“Barely 15 people in our team remember Kuroko. I suppose that if someone were to look at you, he would thing _you_ hurt yourself and not Kuroko.”

Aomine lowered his head: at the level of his chest there were some red stains. Tetsu’s blood.

“I can’t believe it he fell like that. We were talking and then he didn’t reply anymore!” Aomine changed topic. “I mean, I know Tetsu fell at his first match but now…”

Akashi wondered if it was right to scold Aomine, since talking during training was an addicted effort for Kuroko, who still couldn’t barely keep up his pace with the rest of the team. Then he inspected once more the wrinkles between his eyebrows that added a guilty trace to his worried face and decided it wasn’t necessary.

“Well, that surely went beyond my expectations.”

The door opened before Aomine could reply and the doctor looked surprised they were still there.

“Everything is fine. He’ll just have a livid for a while, along with the cut.”

“Can we see him?”

Aomine stepped towards the man, who felt a bit intimidated by the height of that teenager who was at least 20 centimeters taller than him.

“Uhm, he should rest a bit.”

The doctor massaged his neck in evident distress. Akashi walked next to Aomine.

“If one of us enters just for few minutes, is it fine?”

“Yes. It’s okay.”

“Then, Aomine…”

Aomine was ready to defend his right as Kuroko’s basketball partner and argue with Akashi to enter the infirmary. He put on a scary glare and his eyes darted threateningly towards Akashi.

“…you go.”

All the combat instinct that had raised inside his chest crumbled in an instant, leaving behind a dumb puzzled expression.

“It’s better like this. I’ll scold him later.” Akashi bended his back to the doctor. “Thank you for everything.” Then he looked at Aomine into the eyes. “We better recover the training tomorrow.”

“Ah, together…?” Aomine shrugged. “Whatever, until it’s basketball.”

Aomine greeted him waving his hand in front of his face, in a way that didn’t remember at all any physical sign of greet that Akashi knew. However that was fine, since it was Aomine. He entered the room walking past the doctor and walked fast to the bed Kuroko was resting on.

“Aomine-kun.” His voice was feebler than usual. “...did you practice?”

“Tetsu, you idiot.” Aomine blurted out. “Are you okay now?”

“Yes. The doctor told me to take it easy for today and tomorrow, though.”

“You better do it. What if you fell again on the court?”

Kuroko turned his head, pretending to look for something on the side of the room opposite to where Aomine was standing, only to hide his cheeks getting pink of embarrassment.

“I’ll be fine.”

He heard a metallic sound and turned his head again towards Aomine: his friend had just took a sit on a chair next to his bed.

“I’ll wait for you and bring you home. And tomorrow morning I’m gonna fetch you, ‘kay?”

“Aomine-kun, I don’t need–“

“No buts, Tetsu! I swear, sometimes you are a pet that needs to be taken care of.”

Kuroko frowned at Aomine’s pretentious nod as he crossed his arms to put more emphasis to his responsible moment.

“Aomine-kun…” Kuroko waited for him to being at full attention. “…did you study for tomorrow test?”

Aomine paled and his mouth froze in an almost desperate smile.

“Hum…”

“I suppose you are a pet too, aren’t you?”


	2. Orange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: Orange.  
> Kuroko is nowhere to be found. Momoi is worried and she can only rely on Aomine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much time lately, so the stories aren't as neat as I'd like to, but they are still pleasant to read (I think so. I mean, if they aren't please tell me)

“Tetsu-kun disappeared!”

There were only three things that were more important to Aomine than losing his mind into his imaginary world of big boobs: basket, Momoi seriously crying over a serious matter and Kuroko – also true boobs was an option, but that wasn’t really available.

However Aomine waited to close his magazine, as probably Kuroko took the chance of the day of rest from training to do something on his own and Momoi was just worrying over nothing.

“Tetsu always disappears, Satsuki.”

“This time is different, Dai-ch–“ Some of their classmates were listening and Momoi forcefully controlled her habit. “Aomine-kun! He is nowhere to be found. And I checked wherever he could be.”

“Maybe today he didn’t come to school. Actually, last time I saw him was yesterday evening… he had a test this morning so I didn’t want to bother him.”

Momoi punched the palm of her left hand as if she had just had an epiphany.

“Let’s ask the teacher. It was Japanese literature!”

Before Aomine could speak his mind, Momoi had already took his hand and he, despite being stronger than her, didn’t oppose any resistance.

“You brought the magazine?!”

Momoi noticed Aomine had under his arm the gravure magazine only when they were already in front of the teacher room.

“You dragged me here!”

“Dai-chan!” Momoi put a wrist on her hip and pointed at him with the index, ready for a lecture. “You should be more–“ Her attention suddenly focused on something behind Aomine, saving him from one of her usual tantrums. “It’s her, Tetsu-kun’s teacher!”

The teacher looked like a 50-something year old woman with glasses and huge books trapped inside her arms. Aomine didn’t even want to think that people who read that much in a row existed.

“Sensei! Excuse me, could we, by any chance, ask you a question?”

The woman took some seconds to realize they were actually talking to her. “Yes, of course.” Her smile wasn’t that bad.

“We are looking for Kuroko Tetsuya, class 2-1. Did he attend the test today?”

“Kuroko you said? Yes, he did. He scared me again appearing at last when I thought I had already taken all the papers…” She added giving the impression she was just talking to herself. “But I suppose he isn’t in class. I mean, I didn’t see him, but, you know, it’s difficult to be aware if he is there or not.”

“Thank you very much for your time!”

Momoi made a deep bow and Aomine noticed how her boobs bounced a bit. He yawned.

“So Tetsu is here somewhere. Give him a call.”

“I tried already, but I couldn’t reach him.”

“Then go look for him in the places he could be right now. You are good at analyzing people’s habits.”

“Yes, but… you know I can’t do it with Tetsu-kun. He is the only one I can’t predict! I also followed him once but it didn’t help at all!”

“…Satsuki, did you stalk Tetsu?”

She waved her hand. “It wasn’t stalking. I was just collecting data.”

“You stalked Tetsu.” Aomine massaged the scruff of the neck. “Probably Tetsu will be somewhere quiet to read. If he were to train, Akashi would scold him like the last time.”

Momoi shook her head. “I tried in the library already.”

“Tetsu doesn’t like reading there. He always meets people he knows and even if they don’t notice him, it would be rude not to greet them, so he greets them and they start talking.” He explained. “Or something like that. The rooftop is cool but since the weather is nice, too many people are going up there lately. I can’t even take a nap anymore… I suppose he is in the school yard near the cabin, lately Tetsu showed interest in it.”

Momoi was astonished by how Aomine reasoned so fast, making seem simple understanding Kuroko’ s state of mind, when she had difficulties to grasp what he was thinking all the times. And, moreover, Aomine knew some little habits of Kuroko that probably had been confessions between them and she felt a bit jealous.

“When did he show interest…?”

“Come on Satsuki! It was so obvious.”

She didn’t recollect when Kuroko talked about it and that scared her.

“You are kidding me.”

“Why should I? First you find Tetsu, first I can go back to Mai-chan and her boobs.”

“I see…” She felt hopeless about him. “Then let’s go and check.”

Momoi’s pace was fast, while Aomine walked behind her without any intention of fretting. She turned two times behind and yelled at him to move faster without success.

The cabin was used mostly to keep broken tools that from time to time were gotten rid of; students didn’t find anything appealing about hanging around there so Aomine and Momoi were alone as the cabin appeared on their sight.

“Tetsu-kun?”

Nobody was to be seen, but knowing Kuroko, calling him was the best way to test if he was really there.

“Oi Tetsu! Are you here?”

Aomine and Momoi exchanged a look.

“Why are you here?”

Both turned towards the cabin. Next to it, as if he had just sprouted from the ground, stood Kuroko with a genuinely puzzled look. “Aomine-kun, I thought you said today you would have spent the afternoon reading your magazines.”

“I were to. But Satsuki was worried since she couldn’t find you and you didn’t even reply to her calls.”

Momoi wanted to slap him for being so blunt, however it wouldn’t have passed unnoticed, and she resigned to fell into her self-alimented status of contemplation of Kuroko mixed with a tad of embarrass.

“I only wanted to know if your test went well and I worried…” She tried to excuse herself.

“It’s very kind of you, Momoi-san. I suppose it went well, I could reply to all the answers. But my mobile…” Kuroko took the mobile from a pocket of his jacket. “…ah. I forgot to turn it on after the test. My bad.”

“Really, Tetsu…” Aomine got closer to spy the black screen over Kuroko’s shoulder. “By the why…” He glanced down. “…your trousers are clean and neat. Did you find a good place to read?”

“I didn’t read at all.”

Momoi arrived in front of him. “What are you doing here then?”

Kuroko made a gesture with the hand, silently asking them to follow him. “This.”

He opened the door of the cabin, that screeched turning on the rusted hinges. The inside was lighted by a small window on the top of the wall opposite the door and a turned off lamp was hanging from the ceiling. It was a mess of old tools and some stuff that none of the three was able to name; moving around looked almost impossible and Kuroko, who made only a step inside, tried to move on the side as he was pointing at a box on a pile of carpets.

From the box rose a meow.

“Don’t worry. They are friends.”

Momoi tried to look without touching Kuroko too much -but she truly wanted to-, even if it was a difficult task in that cramped space, while Aomine was pushing all his weigh on her shoulders without too many problems.

“So cute!”

Her high pitched voice provoked another meow.

Inside the box was resting a cat. The fur of an intense orange, she was a female with her belly so huge it looked deformed in comparison with the rest of the body. Her yellow eyes flashed in the semi-darkness.

“Wow, she is going to be mother.” Aomine turned his head. “Tetsu, she can’t stay here.”

“I know. I tried to move her but she just won’t.” He massaged a scratch on the back of the left hand. “I found her some days ago here and she barely moved, so I thought that maybe she’ll be willing to leave after giving birth to the kittens.”

“If they find you–“

“The Japanese literature teacher already knows. She’s also looking after her and she knows a person who can take care of her along with the kittens, so it’s alright, Aomine-kun.”

“She really look tired.” Momoi was about to caress her, yet the cat retreated her head and she stopped the hand. “You actually told us about this but I didn’t listen to him, sorry!”

Kuroko frowned as he moved back, followed by the others.

“I didn’t tell you. The teacher asked me not to.”

Momoi tilted her head. “But Dai-chan said you were talking about it.”

“…I didn’t.”

Both turned towards Aomine.

“Hey, I said Tetsu showed interest in, not talked about the cabin. You were always looking towards it and few months ago you asked me if it was a good place to stay quiet. It was obvious.”

“Dai-chan, towards this direction there are tons of things, if you go outside the boundaries of the school and, really? few months ago?!”

“Come on, you would have reached this conclusion too, Satsuki!”

Momoi knew that probably she would have never reached the same conclusion as fast as Aomine did. For how him and Kuroko were different, probably they were more similar than it appeared, excluding basketball. But even with her ability to observe people, she still didn’t have a rational reason that explained why Aomine and Kuroko became such close friends. Only basketball as a tie seemed impossible, but she had the facts in front of her eyes…

“I’m really sorry, you both lost time looking for me.”

“Nah, not a big deal. But I want to see the kittens before they fly away.”

“Cats don’t fly, Aomine-kun.”

“Tetsu I know. Geez! That’s a common saying.”

“I don’t think that’s the right use of that saying.”

“You are too picky. You got the sense, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but please stick to the language a bit more.”

“Until you understand me it’s cool.”

“It’s not cool.”

“’kay, ‘kay… why don’t we go and buy an ice cream after school?”

“I’d rather buy a vanilla shake.”

“But it’s warm today, an ice cream is better.”

“Vanilla shakes are cold too. It’s the same thing.”

“Tetsu, it’s not.”

“It is.”

Momoi resigned with a smile. Probably some things were beyond the rational schemes of human mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "By the why…” He glanced down. “…your trousers are clean and neat. Did you find a good place to read?”
> 
> Just to be clear: Aomine looked straight at Kuroko's ass.


	3. Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First weekend of summer holidays and Aomine invites Kuroko to spend some time at his aunt's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm one day late, I wasn't at home yesterday. I'll publish the next chapter this evening.  
> I tried to match the story with the timeline of Teikou and I think Kise entered the team at the beginning of the second year, so probably it works.

That morning Aomine woke up hearing the sound of a mobile phone. He sank his face on the pillow with a growl and curled, wondering where his blanket was. Then he remembered he trashed it away during the night because it was so hot he couldn’t sleep well.

“Aomine-kun, good morning. Sorry, I woke you up.”

Aomine mumbled something on the pillow. During the seconds while he tried to find the strength to get up from the futon, he recollected he was at his aunt’s house outside Tokyo together with Kuroko; he invited him to spend together their first weekend of summer holidays.

“…morning.”

Aomine sat down, even though his eyes hurt and he couldn’t open them.

“Who the hell is at this time… what time is it?”

“Few minutes to seven.”

Kuroko was admired at how Aomine kept wobbling, almost falling right before getting back his balance.

“Greet your parents for me.”

“It’s not from my parents, it’s from Kise-kun.”

“Then tell him to go die.”

Aomine gave up to his tiredness and fell down on his stomach, covering his head under the pillow.

“Since we are awake, we can–”

“Five minutes…”

Kuroko kneeled next to Aomine’s futon. In that moment the door slid and Aomine’s aunt smiled at them.

“So I was right. I heard your voices.”

She had already changed her night clothes and was wearing a long dress with sunflowers printed on it that made her look younger than she already appeared thanks to her joyful behavior. She was much younger than Aomine’s father and she didn’t look at all like him with her clear skin and brownish hair; Aomine said she was adopted.

“Good morning, Tecchan, Dai-chan!”

She forcefully took away the pillow and Aomine hissed.

“Auntie! Give it back!”

“Don’t waste your time until you are young!”

The aunt had it better and after ten minutes, still in their pajamas, Aomine and Kuroko were kneeling on the tatami around a table waiting for her to sit down before starting eating. Even though the house, from the garden to the first floor, was entirely in Japanese style, the breakfast was a western combination of Italian and British morning food. Kuroko was curious about the croissant and probably the aunt noticed it, as she put it on his plate before sitting down.

“Please, eat as much as you want.”

Aomine had already started, so Kuroko didn’t feel embarrassed taking some milk. He ate slowly, in contrast with Aomine who was filling his mouth and gulping down almost without munching.

She observed both of them.

“You are really different in everything.”

Aomine gulped the eggs. “Yes. We totally are.”

Everybody who knew them told the same thing, yet she wasn’t so surprised they managed to become friends.

“By the way, Dai-chan, unfortunately this year there are no sunflowers.”

Aomine stopped eating. “Really? What a pity…”

“But everything else is the same. I hope next year they’ll grow again.”

After breakfast, they changed clothes and went out with a lacquered box with lunch each.

“Tetsu, this morning you ate more than usual.”

“It was delicious. So your aunt is an artist?”

“Something like that. She paints from time to time and she also drew for some children books. But she mainly works as a translator. When I was younger I used to spend here at least two weeks. Unfortunately now she travels a lot and it’s difficult for me to stay more than one weekend.”

“You like her a lot.”

“She is cool.”

Kuroko took a deep breath. The sun had already set, burning in the cloudless blue sky over the green sea of plants spreading until the eye could see. They were walking on the path traced by some old rails that were covered in green sprouts, surrounded by the pleasant voices of insects.

“Tetsu, now I’m showing you my hunt territory.”

“…hunt?”

“Yup.” Aomine swung the net. “Follow me.”

They left the path and entered the refreshing shadows of the trees; the grass there was wet and left a trace of water on their shoes. Kuroko looked around, fascinated by the nature; he tried to detect some animals and when his eyes lingered on Aomine, he thought that his figure was naturally blending with that landscape. It seemed like he was born to live there.

“Tetsu, be careful.”

“Yes, I am.”

As he finished replying, Kuroko didn’t feel the ground behind the right feet and fell forward right on Aomine’s back.

“You had to specify I had to be careful about holes in the ground.”

Aomine laughed with cheerful voice and moved on.

“It’s not that far. We’re almost there.”

Unfortunately Aomine and Kuroko had two different meters to judge distances. When they finally reached the river, Kuroko sat down against the roots of a tree: he was sweating and couldn’t believe Aomine was still fresh as if he hadn’t just walked in a scorching day of summer.

“Hey, Tetsu.” Aomine took off his shoes. “Come here, let’s catch some crayfish!”

Kuroko’s mobile ringed again. He took a quick look and then put it back on the rucksack.

“Kise again?”

Aomine always pronounced Kise’s name putting a lot of emphasis on the last syllable and it made it seem like he was always angry or bothered with him.

“Yes. She asked why I didn’t reply. Maybe I should–“

“Nah. Later. When you are here you don’t have to think about what’s happening back there!”

Aomine was so happy he was almost shining from his joy. Bright eyes, bright smile, it was contagious and Kuroko smiled at him.

“Okay!”

The water of the river was cold. Kuroko trembled but walked on the smooth pebbles and looked at his own feet, clearly visible beyond the transparent stripes of the running water.

“How do you catch cray fishes, Aomine-kun?”

It wasn’t still midday when Kuroko felt hungry again. He didn’t count how many cray fishes and fishes they caught and released in the clear waters before they got out of the river.

“Really Tetsu, you’ll end up being round at the end of the weekend.”

“Ah…” Kuroko ate the last mouthful of the third sandwich. “I don’t think so. Training will put me back in shape.”

“…so you’re actually planning on eating a lot.”

“I can’t help it. I’m hungry.”

“I’ve never thought I would have seen one day you eating more than Satsuki.”

“Rude.”

Aomine laughed.

“Aomine-kun. I was thinking about the sunflowers you and your aunt talked about…”

“The sunflowers field is really beautiful. It’s so sad this year they didn’t bloom… and strange. I wanted to show them to you.” He sighed. “Next year.”

“Yes, next year.”

The day flew. They looked for beetles and then Kuroko convinced Aomine to help him spotting some animals in order to take some photos. Walking back to the house the sun was setting in shades of red and blue, making their shadows grow under their feet. Kuroko dragged himself, his body was tired but he felt like he wanted to do something more, even if he didn’t know what.

The mobile ringed again.

“Kise?”

“Yes. Now I should reply.”

The message was a bit longer than the previous _I hope you’re having fun._

 

_ Kurokocchi, I hope you had a nice day with Aominecchi! I finished now the shooting and tomorrow I’ll leave with my family. I’m kinda jealous, next time let’s go somewhere together! I hope we’ll manage to see when I’ll be back! _

__

Kuroko wondered what he could wrote for a reply and casually spotted something yellow at his right.

“Oh, Aomine-kun.”

A sunflower was eagerly following the last rays of the sun, his crown was starting to close, ready for the night. Kuroko opened the camera of the mobile.

“Wow! A sunflower!”

Aomine suddenly appeared in the range of the camera, making an excited face at the flower. Kuroko clicked on the button before thinking.

“…next year, I’m looking forward the sunflowers field.”

“Of course!”

But that fall, Aomine’s talent bloomed, leaving everything else behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned for Kise to have a more relevant role in the story, but in the end I only showed his jealousy towards Kuroko. Sorry Kise, this happened right in the day of your birthday XD


	4. Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine doesn't follow a balanced diet and Kuroko just wants him to be healthy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this, so I could write about my headcanon of Aomine's family.

Aomine’s mother took the habit to invite Kuroko to stay for dinner whenever he dropped by to help his son studying Japanese literature.

“Your marks improved since when Kuroko started helping you.”

She never missed a chance to remark that pleasant twist in Aomine’s school path. And she was fast at overcoming the sense of unease of having at home a small boy who could disappear whenever he wanted.

Aomine’s grandfather, his mother’s father, was a foreigner from America, but he had an African heritage -South Africa, if Kuroko recalled correctly- so she was taller than the rest of Japanese women. Everyone was tall from his family and Kuroko felt much smaller than usual in their presence, despite him being of average size for a Japanese teenager.

“Daiki, eat the carrots too.”

“I don’t like them.”

“How can you run after a ball when you don’t eat vegetables at all?”

“I eat potatoes and tomatoes. It’s enough as long as there’s meat.”

“You must eat some fish too.”

The first times those discussion started but then ended in the knowledge of being in presence of a guest. But since Kuroko became a family’s friend after his second visit, he witnessed Aomine being scolded by his mother because of his bad alimentary habit more often than he would have ever thought.

Kuroko was good at observing people and he suddenly grasped how Aomine, also at school, ate just whatever he wanted and not actually what his body needed. He always used Kuroko, as an excuse, giving him his vegetables because _“Tetsu you’re so short. You need them to grow up.”_

“Maybe you should just eat them in another way. Not raw or just steamed.”

Kuroko tried to enter the discussion, but nobody listened to him and Aomine’s father smiled at him.

“So, tell me Kuroko, what’s your favorite Japanese writer from Meiji Era?”

 

 

“Aomine-kun, please eat.”

Aomine, together with his teammates of the first year, looked at the plate Kuroko handed towards him. Steamed vegetables, carrots, broccoli, potatoes and cauliflower, had been cut and adjusted in order to create a small cute landscape with trees and brushes.

“…hey, that’s cute Kuroko…” Midorima adjusted the glasses on his nose. “But what’s the meaning of this?”

“Aomine-kun doesn’t eat much vegetables, so I’m trying to help.”

Kuroko clenched his fists in a wave of self-confidence that made his deadpanned eyes sparkle. That gave him quite a creepy appearance.

“I think Aomine is old enough to eat on his own.” Akashi declared, dismantling Kuroko’s certainty. “And he should be aware that a good alimentation is the base for a healthy body.”

“But…”

“Thanks Tetsu, but I don’t like vegetables. And more than everything, steamed ones.”

Aomine pushed back the plate.

“That looks cute, Kurochin.”

Murasakibara dragged it towards himself, analyzing that composition with a closer look. He poked a broccoli with the fork and tilted his head, looking at Kuroko.

“May I eat this?”

“Sure…”

His failure became somehow a success.

 

 

Kuroko tried again two weeks later. He noticed how Aomine, during lunch times, became suspicious of him and ate his food without diverting his eyes. When Aomine stated that he was safe and the “you should eat vegetables menace” was over, Kuroko decided he could try another move.

“Kuroko…” Midorima looked at the two boxes wrapped in tissues with bunnies on them. “You don’t eat that much. What’s happening?”

“I’m going to make Aomine eat vegetables.”

“In my opinion, this is only a waste of time. Aomine works in his own way.” He stated with a strict expression that didn’t suit a boy of his age.

“I’m going to.”

Midorima accepted Kuroko’s blank stare and sighed.

“Whatever. I hope you won’t forget your main duties because of him. You should think about your health, hygiene, studies and basket before thinking about Aomine.”

“Thanks for the concern, Midorima-kun, but I’m fine.”

“It’s not like I’m concerned or anything else! But if you were to lower your performance on the court, you will be recessed to the second string and that would be a mess for the team.”

“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself, so I can also take care of Aomine-kun.”

“There’s already Momoi for that.”

“And do you want Momoi-san to make food for Aomine-kun?”

Midorima turned visibly distressed and scared at that perspective.

“I suppose you have a point.”

He hid himself behind the glasses. But when every member of the team took a spot to eat lunch, he didn’t miss the chance to throw glances at Kuroko and Aomine, who were sitting near the entrance of the gym on their own.

“Today my grandmother tried a new recipe. She made these tiny salty cakes.”

Kuroko opened one of the boxes, showing what was inside: half of it was filled with spheres of baked dough with lines carved on the surface that made them resemble little basketballs put on a bed of raw vegetables. The rest of the space was rice with a sauce on it.

“Wow, amazing!”

Aomine was obviously interested in the mini basketball shaped food.

“I helped her, so I gave this shape to them.”

“What’s inside?”

“Beef meat. My grandma is worried I don’t eat enough so she tried something different. But she made too much. Do you want to try one?”

Aomine didn’t show any hesitation. “Thanks for the meal!” He put an entire ball inside his mouth, however his satisfied expression turned into a puzzled one after a single munch. Before he could open his mouth again, Kuroko covered it with both his hands, glaring at him.

“Aomine-kun, please swallow.”

In the rush of the unexpected reaction of his friend, Aomine was caught by surprise and followed the apparently kind order without thinking: he munched again and gulped, coughing against Kuroko’s palm. Aomine slapped the hands away and breathed heavily.

“Tetsu you little shitty liar!” Some senpai turned towards them, but Aomine ignored the glares. “That wasn’t just meat!”

“I didn’t lie. I just omitted that with the meat are mixed different kinds of vegetables. What was that one?”

“Who knows?” Aomine made a disgusted grimace.

“Is really this bad?” Kuroko tasted half of another ball and that was amazing, for how they were small, that he could still bit them. “Oh, peppers.”

Aomine crossed his arms, mumbling something about trust, friends and Kuroko’s bad behavior. He looked back at Kuroko suspiciously.

“…actually it wasn’t really really bad… but I trusted you!” He added accusing him with a pointed index.

“Aomine-kun, you should eat more vegetables. And once, when I ate at your place, you said that eating vegetables was fine as long as there was meat.”

“I’ve never said it!”

“Then maybe I mistook your words.”

“Don’t put on such an innocent face. It doesn’t suit you right now.”

Aomine glanced down at the box. Kuroko pushed it towards him.

“I have two. You can try another one. This time try to feel the taste.”

“…just another one, then I’ll eat mine.”

In the end, the only things that remained in the box were the raw vegetables, but Kuroko was satisfied.

 

 

Kuroko stared at Aomine’s plate.

“Aomine-kun… where are the vegetables?”

“I don’t like them.”

“But–“

“Those ball-cakes were good. But eating them like that…” He made a nod towards Kuroko’s plate with some vegetables around his meatballs. “…it’s out of question.”

Akashi didn’t say anything, yet Midorima grasped his opinion on the matter just looking at his calm and severe expression.

“Don’t mind it, Kuroko. God proposes, man disposes. You did whatever you could.”

“As if I need vegetables!”

“Aomine, you need a balanced diet as everyone at our age.”

“Tetsu eats vegetables but he is still short.”

“That’s also a matter of genetics.”

“My genetics is strong.” 

Murasakibara, sat next to Kuroko, stopped devouring his meatballs and elbowed him.

“Kuro-chin, so did my book work?”

“Yes, Murasakibara-kun, it actually worked.” He sighed. “But I guess the one who doesn’t work is Aomine-kun.”

Spending a week following the instruction of the book to create a food whose shape would have actually lured Aomine to eat vegetables, worked only for a day. Yet Kuroko, despite the final failure, felt somehow pleased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, not all vegetables are green, but that's the first association that comes into mind, right? Murasakibara who owns a book to shape food in a cute way is lovely.


	5. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Momoi is sick and Aomine makes sure to give her classes' notes. Thanks to Kuroko. Haizaki guest star.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to the character bible Aomine writes entirely in katakana (or almost). Damn it, that's though, how can you even understand it?!

Momoi pushed herself too far with her work for the basketball team. That probably was one of the reasons she was one of the first students in Teikou to fall sick under the waves of that flu outbreak. One morning Aomine received the call of Momoi’s mother, who told him she wouldn’t have attended school for the rest of the week. The same evening she asked if he could bring her the notes of the classes.

The main problem was that Aomine had never taken notes in his life and he always relied on Momoi. Kuroko became quite like their lighthouse in the storm.

“Tetsu, you are a savior.”

Aomine repeated it again on their way to the arcade. Kuroko agreed to make copies of his notes, especially when he witnessed Aomine’s poor attempt to write down the teacher’s explanations. Aomine himself didn’t manage to understand his handwriting and all the katakana gave Kuroko a tiny headache.

“Unfortunately they’re not as good as Momoi-san’s.”

“I’m sure she’ll treasure them.”

“Do you also want them?”

“If you insist…”

“I’m not insisting.”

“Okay, okay! I want them!”

Kuroko laughed.

At the arcade, Kuroko queued to the copy machine, while Aomine waited for him while looking at the games. He got closer to the claw crane and examined the toys inside: two footballs, some stuffed toys and there was also a mobile. Among the sea of fur blurring from orange to pink, Aomine noticed a blue spot, a tiny keychain in the shape of a light blue chick.

_ Oh, cute. _

Aomine looked back at the queue, then around him. Kuroko wasn’t there, so he was probably still waiting. He inserted a coin in the machine and grabbed the lever.

At the first attempt he just rustled the toys, making the one he wanted more available. The second one he managed to capture it, but it fell down after being raised few centimeters. His third attempt was luckier, it fell when it was closer to the hole. After the fourth one, he was distracted by a familiar voice.

“Daiki.”

He saw Haizaki’s grin reflected on the transparent cage.

“Haizaki! Today you dumped the training again.”

Turning, he noticed Haizaki was accompanied by a girl of his class. She was totally different, wearing a make-up that made her visage stood out, but not as much as her showing cleavage. Aomine stared at the shadow forming on her chest and her high-pitched screaming woke him up from the contemplation.

“Haizaki-kun!” She plead. “I want that cute keychain!”

Her little nose was pressed on the window, her puffs left a stain of breath at the level of the mouth.

“Which?”

“The light blue one!”

Aomine froze on his spot.

“I’m playing.” He snorted.

“Oh, even when you’ve already failed four times?”

The desire of punching Haizaki’s cheeky smile was poorly balanced by his self-control. Aomine sank his hand on the pocket, but his fingers tasted only a coarse banknote.

“Did you run out of money?”

Haizaki poked him away and put a money on the split.

“Look and learn.”

Aomine followed the claw swinging as the game began. He crossed his fingers, hoping that Haizaki was only a big talker; yet his hopes decreased when the hook closed around the stuffed keychain and disappeared in astonishment when the hook opened on the hole.

“Hurray!” The girl jumped of joy on Haizaki’s back. “You are the best!”

Haizaki showed the keychain to Aomine with a triumphant grin before handing it to the girl. With the same hand he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her closer to him, mumbling something that made her giggle with a red blush spreading on her cheeks.

“See ya, Daiki.”

Aomine snapped his tongue and crossed his arms. He lowered his look, noticing a coin on the floor, near his foot.

“Damn it…” He took it. “And now?”

He looked inside the transparent box -there was now a trace of lipstick-, staring intensely at the spot left by the keychain. Two stuffed toys far away, another chick was waiting to be caught, yet the color, an intense dark blue, wasn’t appealing at all to him and he had an ugly face.

“Whatever.” Aomine used the last coin. “It’s not like I’ll take it anyway.”

When the stuffed keychain fell down in the hole, Aomine felt like he had just been tricked by the great god of the arcade games.

That dark blue chick was giving back his glare and it looked uglier from up close. It also had a pair of eyebrows pointing down that were the final touch to his very angry expression. Who could have ever liked such an ugly and angry thing?

“…I’m giving throwing you away.”

“Aomine-kun, who are you talking to?”

Aomine was so surprised by Kuroko’s voice, that he almost let the keychain fell, but managed somehow to catch it before it touched the ground.

“T-Tetsu!”

Kuroko was holding two different ream of printed papers.

“We can go. Or do you want to stay?”

“No. I’m done with this place.”

“What did you catch?”

It was unusual for Kuroko to show a clear interest in something, so Aomine pinched the chain between his index and thumb without thinking. The angry chick swung quietly in front of Kuroko.

“Oh… that’s cute.”

Another unusual thing: Kuroko’s eyes were shining and he wasn’t on a basketball court.

“Uhm… do you want it?”

Aomine expected Kuroko to refuse politely, at least at first, so he was surprised when he nodded with energy like a happy child.

“Yes, I humbly accept.”

“Are you really sure? This is ugly, I wanted another one…”

“I think this is very cute.”

“Oh… then, exchange.”

Aomine put the keychain on Kuroko’s school bag and took the papers to insert them in his bag.

Kuroko clasped the keychain on the handle of the bag with a click.

“It’s so dark you hardly notice it on the dark bag, Tetsu.”

“But I really like it.” Kuroko took off the bag to examine what it looked like. He stared at the keychain, then at Aomine, again at the keychain and back at Aomine to speak to him with a truly serious but pleasantly surprised tone of voice. “You know, it looks a bit like you, Aomine-kun.”

Aomine opened his mouth in disbelief. “Tetsu, I’m not that ugly!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, those are KnB piyos and Aomine basically finds himself angry and ugly, while Kuroko thinks he is cute. I giggled when wrote that part.


	6. Indigo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Generation of miracles at the aquarium, but Aomine just wants to spend some time alone with Kuroko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out more melancholy than I thought. But no sadness.

“This fish are really strange.”

“Look Kise, that one looks like you.”

“Aominecchi, rude!”

“You’re right. That fish doesn’t seem as bad as you.”

“Wha–??!”

Akashi got closer to Aomine and Kise, who were speaking with loud voice in front of the tropical fish tank.

“You should lower your voice in order not to disturb other people.”

He didn’t imprint any particular flection on his words, but Aomine and Kise nodded.

“Sorry, Akashicchi, but…”

“Ah, you’re probably right.”

Aomine abandoned them and spotted Momoi. If he didn’t know that she was hung to Kuroko’s arm, probably he would have bypassed him; they truly looked like a queen, admired by all the boys around, with her unnoticed pet. Kuroko was talking, probably explaining something as he was pointing at the tank, while Momoi was contemplating his face and Aomine wasn’t sure she was actually listening.

He didn’t read the atmosphere around Momoi and leaned on his back with all his weight, interrupting that date-look-a-like.

“Yusss. Tetsu, let’s go find the shark tank.”

Momoi so concentrated to the moment she was living with Kuroko and her brain elaborated the fact that Aomine interrupted her pleasant real dream, converting her love into a sudden burst of anger.

“Dai-chan!” She yelled before covering his mouth, then repeated lowering her tone. “Dai-chan. You interrupted us!”

“Satsuki, do you want to see sharks too?”

“Don’t change topic!”

Aomine felt Kuroko escaping from his embrace as a huge shadow approached. He turned towards Murasakibara, who was dragging Kuroko away.

“Kuro-chin, this way there are sea stars.”

He looked very happy he managed to take someone to see them and Kuroko nodded.

“Please, make way Murasakibara-kun.”

Momoi let out a tiny cry. “I can’t believe it. I had a chance…”

“It’s not like Tetsu showed some interest into you in a romantic way until now.”

Aomine observed how his words pierced right into Momoi’s feels. She leaned the forehead against the transparent surface of the tank and started muttering a tantrum of strange words that Aomine didn’t understand.

“Uhm… what happened to Momocchi?”

Kise approached her with a visible worried face.

“Just reality.”

Aomine walked towards Murasakibara. He towered over the crowd together with Midorima, who was observing with him and Akashi the sea stars. Aomine spotted Kuroko right next to Murasakibara and run to him.

“Murasakibara!” He grabbed Kuroko’s hand, forcing him to follow his run. “I’m taking Tetsu for a while, I’ll bring him back later!”

Murasakibara tilted his head. “Uhm… okay. Be careful, Kuro-chin.”

Midorima just witnessed the scene without doing anything, as he was too astonished by the reactions of those involved. He turned to Akashi, who did a better job to hide his puzzlement; yet he was showing a strange expression that made him look more like a boy of his age.

Kuroko managed to run at Aomine’s pace just until the corner they turned at, then he tugged his arm.

“Aomine-kun, too fast.”

Instead of decreasing the speed, Aomine stopped all of a sudden and Kuroko bounced against his back.

“Ouch.” He massaged his nose and gave Aomine a severe look. “Aomine-kun, first of all, it’s dangerous to run in the aquarium…”

“Tetsu, do you know where the penguins are?”

Kuroko frowned. “I thought you wanted to see the sharks.”

“Yes. But first the penguins.”

It wasn’t so difficult to find them, thanks to the signals but mostly to the stream of children who wanted to watch the penguins lazing on the rocks or swimming in the cold water. Aomine was so tall he didn’t have any difficult to look at the animals even if they were blocked at the bottom of the space suitable to watch the penguin tank. Kuroko tried to tiptoe but he could only see some heads of penguins wobbling to and fro as they walked.

“There’s a little one there!”

“Where? Aomine-kun I can’t see.”

“Oh, my bad.”

Aomine patted his head, Kuroko sulked.

When they arrived in front of the tank, Aomine leaned his hands on the glass and bended his head. He stared at the penguins with his mouth open in amaze as one of the animals jumped in the blue water. It was a bit odd, as Aomine was in the middle of a crowd of children that were staring up, everyone with the same expression that was brightening his face.

Kuroko smiled at him before an impetuous family pushed him aside and the one who probably was the father burst at Aomine.

“You are tall, boy. Let the children look.”

Aomine opened his mouth without knowing what to reply.

“B-but…”

He was pushed away as it happened to Kuroko before he could speak properly and glared at the man.

“That’s not fair!”

“Yes, you are right.” Kuroko nodded. “But let’s try to enjoy this. Maybe we can bring the others here.”

Aomine didn’t seem to have listened to his words, because he pointed at a sign and took him from the sleeve of the jacket.

“ _Corridor under the ocean._ Let’s go take a look.”

“Uhm, alright, but–“

Kuroko was dragged again, this time at a slower pace, to an arch whose inside was pitch black. On the top of it there was a writing in indigo neon “ _Corridor under the ocean”_. They queued after a man and a woman.

“After this, let’s go back to the others.”

“Yes, yes… I just wanted to relax a bit with you Tetsu. You know, lately we don’t spend much time one our own because of the training.”

“You’re right. We used to spend much more time playing just the two of us.”

“But also eating ice-cream, going to the book shops…” Aomine counted on the fingers. “Lately Satsuki and Kise became your shadows. They’re always around you!”

“Are you jealous?”

Kuroko was always blunt and sometimes it hurt. Aomine looked away.

“No. I just… miss it. A bit.”

He said it and felt embarrassed.

“I miss it too.”

They smiled at each other.

“Aomine-kun, we should play together again. Just you and me.”

“Next weekend. I’m free.”

“Yes, it’s fine by me.”

The couple in front of them entered and they followed, as the attendant made sign.

The first part, only few steps long, was so dark they could barely avoid bouncing against each other. A door opened, showing a thin ray of deep blue light that split the darkness, getting bigger and bigger: the light beyond was so strong, both closed their eyes as they surpassed the doorstep.

Everything was deep blue. Indigo.

The corridor of glass pierced inside the water where different fishes were slowly swimming. Bright reflections took with them the color of the water, flickering on the astonished people walking with their eyes moving everywhere, trying to grasp everything from that blue space.

Aomine remained still, staring at the water over him, until someone shouldered him. He woke up.

“Ah, Tetsu?”

He looked at his right, catching immediately the sight of Kuroko contemplating that surreal landscape with his eyes and mouth opened in an amazed smile. The lights dancing on his pale skin made him almost merge together with the color of the water. Aomine reached out his hand to him and when his fingers touched his hair, he was almost surprised; he seriously thought he wouldn’t have been able to make a physical contact with Kuroko as he was surrounded and covered in reflections.

“…you look blue.”

“What?” Kuroko shook his head. “Sorry Aomine-kun, I wasn’t listening.”

“Ah no. It was nothing.” Aomine grabbed again his sleeve. “This way I won’t lose sight of you.”

“Ah, sure.”

“By the way… there are lots of couples here…”

Kuroko looked around.

“You are right.”

Aomine slowly released his sleeve.

“Aomine-kun, won’t you lose sight of me this way?”

“Yes, but…”

A familiar voice surprised them.

“Aomine. Ah, Kuroko of course.”

Nijimura was behind them and he was holding the hands of a boy and a girl much smaller than him.

“Senpai, hello.”

Kuroko made a nod with his head and spied on Aomine, who greeted Nijimura with a respect that was rare to associate at him.

“You are always together even outside school, huh?”

Nijimura commented looking like he was resigned.

“The others are here too. We just split for a while.”

“Oh, I see. But you are still together.”

The little girl tugged Nijimura’s hand.

“Big bro! I want to go back and see again the penguins!”

The boy grabbed his leg.

“Yes, penguins!”

Nijimura sighed. “Until a second ago you wanted to take a look here.” However his words were full of love and his smile gave to his expression a relaxed hint that neither Kuroko or Aomine had ever witnessed.

“It looks like we have to go.” Talking to his teammates, Nijimura put on back a sever appearance, softened by a smirk. “Have fun, maybe I’ll see the others around.”

As he walked away, Kuroko and Aomine clearly heard him commenting. “Man, I didn’t notice before, but it looks like there are only couples in this corridor.”

Aomine looked at Kuroko and Kuroko looked back.

“If you want to let me go, I won’t disappear.”

“Nah, nobody notices you.”

Aomine tightened his grip on the cloth: under that light Kuroko really looked like he could disappear from any moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really, the part in the corridor should have been funnier and it turned out as a strange contemplation. I didn't have much time to revise it and probably I missed many things my brain wanted to insert. I hope you enjoyed it anyhow.


	7. Violet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko receives some Valentine chocolate and Aomine and Kise need to know who is the sender.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last day, violet! I didn't have time to check it very well, I'm very sorry.

Basically everyone in the first string of the basketball club knew that Aomine used to slack off on the school’s rooftop. Lately his bad habit intensified, in spite of what Kuroko told him to relieve him from the grief of his sprouting talent. He managed to overcome his affliction, but the thoughts still lingered and sometimes he needed some time on his own.

The only one who dared disturbing him was Momoi, but Aomine often hoped that through the opening door would have walked Kuroko.

That day it was Kise who arrived, with a worried face and the atmosphere that something big had just happened.

“Aominecchi!” He didn’t even gave Aomine enough space to be surprised. “Someone gave Kurokocchi some chocolate!”

“I know. I was dragged by Satsuki to buy him some chocolate for him!”

Aomine knew that Momoi, already from January, was doing some experiments to make Kuroko a Valentine chocolate. She always tried to feed it to Aomine, using him as a guinea pig, but he kept refusing and her last attempt melted the saucepan, so she surrendered to the fact her cooking skills were terrible.

“I saw Momocchi giving Kurokocchi her chocolate this morning! And I recognized the wrapping of the shop, or else I would have surely saved him.” He added. “But this one is hand-made chocolate from another person!”

Kise gesticulated, moving his arms in wide circles. Aomine sat down.

“Really?! Somebody noticed Tetsu?”

The curiosity took over the laziness and Aomine followed Kise to Kuroko’s classroom.

“Oi, Tetsu?”

They burst into the room, interrupting the giggles of two girls near the windows. Aomine was fast to detect Kuroko only because he knew where his desk was.

“Aomine-kun, Kise-kun. Good afternoon.”

Kuroko was reading a book, while on the desk there was a beautiful box wrapped in violet paper and ribbons and further enclosed in a transparent small bag closed with raffia and pins with pink and red hearts. Aomine could sense the admiration of the girl from the door where he stood in contemplation.

He grew a huge smile on the face and dashed to put an arm around Kuroko’s neck, rubbing his knuckles on the head.

“Good job Tetsu! I bet that even Kise didn’t manage to receive such a beautiful chocolate!”

“I haven’t opened it yet, Aomine-kun. Maybe there’s nothing inside and it’s a joke.”

Kise observed the package. “Wow. Aominecchi is right, I usually don’t receive much hand-made chocolate.”

“Maybe it’s not handmade.”

“I bet she has big boobs. I can tell it!”

“Please, don’t jump at conclusions like that.”

“Nah, she is surely a delicate girl. Sensitive enough to notice Kurokocchi!”

Kuroko put the bookmark, bothered because he was in the middle of a very involving scene, and closed the book, knowing he wouldn’t have read anymore for the time being.

“Tetsu, open it!”

“I think I’ll calmly open it after the training.”

Aomine and Kise sighed a complain together.

 

 

As the news reached Momoi’s ears, she entered the circle of _those who couldn’t wait for Kuroko to open the package and read the message to know the identity of the mysterious girl_. But her curiosity was mixed with a huge quantity of jealousy that she wasn’t able to hide very well. After the third time she didn’t hear Akashi’s call, the coach asked her if she was feeling well and politely told her she could take a rest.

The training ended and Kuroko felt like an ominous presence behind him for the whole time that took him taking the shower and changing his clothes. Aomine and Kise didn’t lose sight of him, catching the attention of all their teammates.

Kuroko tried to ignore him, but couldn’t ignore Momoi who was waiting in front of the entrance of the lockers.

“Momoi-san.”

She stared at the present Kuroko was holding into his arms.

“Uhm…”

“Tetsu-kun, why don’t we head home together?”

“That’s a good idea, Momocchi!”

Akashi gave an uninterested look at the trio who surrounded Kuroko and just walked away together with Midorima after exchanging with them a gesture of greeting.

“Okay. But wait for me at the entrance, I forgot a book in class.”

He slipped away from their cage of bodies, walking down the corridor. He hurried a bit much and Murasakibara bumped into him, who wasn’t able to avoid.

“What…? Oh, Kuro-chin.” He looked down and frowned pointing at the box. “You didn’t open my present.”

The surprise didn’t manage to scratch Kuroko’s expressionless face, but he perfectly heard the incredulous screech of his friends behind.

“Murasakibara-kun, is this yours?”

Murasakibara nodded and Aomine wasn’t able to control his loud “What?”. Kise and Momoi were simply too shocked to react in a proper way.

“Last week Kuro-chin gave me money because I forgot my wallet, so I could buy the maiubo limited edition. Big sis told me to thank you back with something. I like cooking chocolate biscuits so I made some for you and she wrapped the box.”

Kuroko looked genuinely distant from that situation if it weren’t for his mouth slightly opened.

“Uhm… but why did you give me them today?”

“Because I had no time this weekend and yesterday big sis was at home, so she helped me.”

Murasakibara was explaining everything as if Kuroko was an idiot who was looking for explanations over simple matters.

“Murasakibara-kun, you’ve been very kind, but…”

“Murasakicchi.” Kise stepped into the conversation. “Today is Valentine Day. Girls in our class also gave you chocolate!”

Murasakibara tilted his head, making a surprised noise. “Huh? Is that so? I thought those were threats because we are can win again the championship this year.”

“Mukkun…” Momoi gained again the ability to speak. “That package totally looks like a valentine gift. Why?”

“Uhm… I don’t know. Big sis is strange. Or maybe I forgot to tell her Kuro-chin is a boy and not a girl.”

Aomine sighed. “Considering how you are, I’m not even surprised of the turn this story took…”

“Mine-chin, what do you mean?” Murasakibara pouted.

Kuroko turned towards his friends and suddenly noticed their almost relieved expressions; Momoi had gained again her smile, Aomine and Kise didn’t look so concerned anymore. He smiled at Murasakibara.

“Thank you very much, I’ll tell surely taste them this evening.”

However he didn’t feel as satisfied as he would have wanted to.

 

 

Books. Lots of books. Kuroko felt better hearing the rustle of the pages, but the bitterness of that Valentine hadn’t left him yet.

For almost an entire day he believed that somebody he didn’t know actually gave him a Valentine chocolate. Not that he wasn’t grateful to Murasakibara or didn’t enjoyed Momoi’s chocolate. But every one of his closest friends, Aomine, Kise, Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara, received some chocolate, while he passed unnoticed again. He was used to it, as he was used to the fact that he would have never played basketball as Aomine did, however he couldn’t help but being envious.

Kuroko sighed at the book he decided to buy and headed to the cashier.

At the queue he recognized Aomine’s back waiting for his turn.

“Aomine-kun?”

He smiled at the jolt.

“Tetsu? What a coincidence!”

“I come here often.”

“I usually don’t, but–“ He showed the magazine _Basketball Monthly_. “–yesterday you said you found this special number here.”

“I see.”

“And what did you buy?”

“This.”

He showed the translation of one of Nietzsche’s works. Aomine didn’t even bother to read the katakana of the western name to understand it was one of _Tetsu’s_ _clever books_ as he called them.

“By the way, Tetsu!”

Aomine looked like he had just realized something and handed him the magazine to rustle freely in the bag with both his hands. He took out a cat shaped block of chocolate with the wrapping designed to look like a cute black cat.

“I was with Satsuki when she chose the chocolate for you. I thought you would have like this since you have cats, but she preferred chocolate candies.”

Kuroko took the block exchanging the magazine for it and stared at the big blue eyes of that cartoonish cat.

“Look, it also has a tiny ribbon with bell on the collar.”

The bell barely sounded as Kuroko shook the chocolate a bit.

“Why did you take it?”

“Because Satsuki didn’t. And you told me you didn’t receive any chocolate last year.”

Kuroko didn’t know if he was happy or not.

“…ah, thank you.”

Outside, Kuroko unwrapped the chocolate block, it was milk flavored, breaking it in two halves. He handed one to Aomine.

“Heh? Why?”

“Because now it’s my chocolate.” Kuroko took a mouthful. “It’s good.”

Yet, he couldn’t let go of the idea that the first valentine chocolates he received were one from a girl and two from two different boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end I didn't give very much space to Murasakibara. And the story didn't have any trace of romance between Aomine and Kuroko but I enjoyed writing these one shot. I hope you enjoyed reading them :)

**Author's Note:**

> I never know how to render Akashi or also Aomine. They're both pretty complicated. But I think Aomine is the kind of person who overreacts if somebody he cares of is hurt.


End file.
